Objective: The workshop will provide opportunity for dialogue between policy makers, practitioners and researchers to share knowledge on collaborative approaches to surveillance using the 2004 Youth Smoking Survey (YSS) as an example of success.

Methods: The 2004 YSS was undertaken by the University of Waterloo Health Behaviour Research Group (HBR) as a capacity building project which assembled a network of Canadian researchers, including students. This project provided training opportunities for university students at all levels, encouraging involvement and growth in tobacco control research. Through the project activities, students were exposed to many facets of surveillance including survey design, community involvement, data collection, data management and results dissemination. Increased capacity for policy development, decision making and knowledge transfer was and will continue to be developed.

Results: The 2004 YSS results have recently been released affirming that the collaboration between government, academia and the private sector can work. Lessons learnt from 2004 are being implemented for the 2006 YSS and include identifying and engaging new collaborators from the education sector. This project will monitor the success of the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy to reduce smoking prevalence from 25 to 20 per cent by monitoring the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of youth who are most at-risk of trying cigarettes. It also supports the Strategic Initiative of the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative.